Hindsight
by fangiosfriend
Summary: Why was Han so protective of Leia during the evacuation of Hoth? This story explores possible gaps leading up to their first kiss.
1. Chapter 1

**An epilogue to Second Kiss is still in the making. But in the meantime…**

**Thanks to everyone for all the wonderful reviews and feedback that keep me motivated and tapping away.**

* * *

When she thought back, Leia struggled to remember the moment she almost died. But ironically, hindsight also made things clearer.

A near death experience was such a momentous event, you'd think every second would be ingrained in minute detail. But it wasn't. It was a hazy jumble of adrenalin, frozen pictures and heightened emotions. Considering everything she had endured at the hand of The Empire, meeting her maker in a mundane access passage, deep within the bowels of the rebel base on Hoth, certainly wasn't where she envisioned her end to be.

It happened so quickly.

Flakes of snow and small chips of ice were always dropping at inconvenient times onto rebel alliance heads from the ceiling. Even in the command room. It was to be expected in such a high traffic area with snowspeeders and service vehicles constantly on the move above. Their hurried relocation to Hoth with the Empire hot on their tails didn't exactly allow time for luxury. Leia had learned to ignore it like everyone else.

As she strode through the winding passageway on her way to tactical, Leia's mind, as usual was on other things. She'd just had another run in with Captain Solo. The man was insufferable. If she could just get him to officially sign up, then she'd have the very great pleasure of stripping him of his rank, assigning him fresher duty and finally winning an argument for once. The conundrum was, the Alliance needed him. And he knew it. Dammit.

Still muttering under her breath, Leia almost overlooked a slight shudder that preceded a loud crack, before a veil of white powder dusted uncomfortably down the back of her snowsuit. Brushing it off as simply the result of heavy machinery traveling overhead she kept striding through the winding corridor. But after only a few more steps, an ominous, dull roar followed by severe quaking made her stop short in her tracks. Suddenly, misshapen bricks of ice haphazardly plunged down, striking her back and shoulders, making vision virtually impossible. There was nowhere to run.

It fell relentlessly - a sea of razor-sharp shards, snow and boulders that hurtled down with an incessantly ruthless momentum.

There wasn't time to scream. All her energy was channelled towards the primal need of protecting her head and finding shelter from the onslaught, instinctively throwing her arms up and around herself, stumbling towards and curling her body up against the meagre protection of a cavity provided by a large service pipe that jutted out from the wall. The noise and movement was interminable as Leia huddled against the sanctuary of cold metal.

For a second, a tiny flash of calm within the terror, Leia thought of her loved ones. There weren't many left. But she still felt the resounding void of their loss nonetheless. Her mind conjured up their dear faces; Luke's boyish energy and their puzzling bond, Chewie's gruff affection, General Reeikan and Mon Motha's stoic and parental care….and Han….. what about Han? Now she'd never know.

As the ice continued to hail down with unforgiving abandon around her, Leia stifled a sob and closed her eyes tightly as the roar became a muffled drone.

"I'm sorry. So sorry…Han."

There was another long and terrifying crack and a huge wave of white plummeted towards her. The entire world had splintered open.

Then everything went black.

* * *

"Come on Gorgeous. Open those big brown eyes for me."

Something was gliding softly around the curve of her cheek as a coaxing words washed over her. The voice was close and it sounded familiar but the tone was one she hadn't heard before. Demanding, anxious but tender.

Was she dreaming? Leia tried to turn her head and let out a quiet moan.

"That's my girl."

Wearily, Leia opened her eyes to slits.

Han's familiar, albeit slightly fuzzy face gazed back.

Han? What was Han doing here? He should be stationed at the east entrance, finishing up preparations for a scouting mission. She'd checked in and bickered with him this morning. Come to think of it, why was she so cold? And lying down? She opened her eyes a bit further and blinked, focusing on his face and the hand that still gently stroked her cheek.

"Hey. Hey there you are. You sure know how to get a guy's attention. Usually you just yell at me."

With his face partially lit by a small lantern half buried and propped up near the side of her head, Han waggled his eyebrows for effect and was obviously waiting for her lob a retort back, but her head was pounding. When she offered no reply he frowned.

"Can you move? Take it slowly."

Thanks gods she dressed warmly this morning. Snow and chunks of ice were blanketing her. As Han watched her closely, Leia tentatively moved her limbs one by one, feeling awkward and stiff. It was disconcerting how his eyes hadn't left hers since she opened them.

"My head hurts."

Han smiled nervously and moved his hand from her cheek, hovering it tentatively across her forehead. "You have a bump the size of a baby bantha on your temple. Can you sit up?"

Leia tried to hoist herself up but the effort made her arms shake violently and she lay back down. She'd never felt so weak and disoriented.

"Okay. Good idea Honey. Have little rest first."

"I'm not your Honey."

"That's what you think." He threw her smirk but it didn't quite reach his eyes.

Leia made a half-hearted attempt to roll her eyes but it only succeeded in making her nauseatingly giddy. The fact that Han was lying so close, almost his entire body pressed up against hers, one arm wrapped around the back of her shoulders didn't help. It was comforting but also perturbing – being with him like this.

Han was never comforting. He was more like a highly antagonistic, insubordinate nerf-herder with a dollop of heavy sarcasm on the side. To hide her confusion, she closed her eyes again, and that was when the questions flooded in.

"What are you doing here? Where am I? What happened?"

"Never mind all the where's and whatnots. Let's get you out of here and warm and toasty first."

Her hackles instantly rising up, Leia opened her eyes again and pinned them to Han's.

"What HAPPENED?"

Han sighed and scrubbed his face. "There was a cave in. You were its number one target. And before you ask, we're looking for others now."

"What others? A cave-in? But how - "

" – Sweetheart I'm happy to do the royal interrogation thing later –

" But - "

"- But nothing. Right now I'm more concerned getting you straight to medical."

His brusqueness was more annoyingly dismissive than usual.

"Fine! Don't tell me then!" she exploded.

For the first time, Han produced a real smile. His eyes lighting up with relief. Keeping them firmly upon hers, Han inclined his head back slightly towards what seemed a dark hole.

"She's awake and in fighting princess form boys. I'll have her out in minute. Just be ready."

A youthful voice, thick with barely disguised unease, echoed back. "Yes sir."

Leia released a much-needed huff since she regained consciousness. That was it. She wanted answers!

"Ready for what? What's - ?"

Leia squeaked in surprise as Han quickly pressed two warm fingers up and against her lips. Dark eyes narrowed and piercing. Challenging her to continue. When her face flared up in anger he pressed them once again in warning.

"Shh. Just switch off and let someone take care of you for once. Okay?"

While his actions were bold and almost bullying, he had never sounded so tender and poised. So… artlessly sexy.

When she obligingly shut up, hypnotised by this unfamiliar Han, he slowly took his tantalising fingers away, reverently gliding them over her pouting bottom lip.

He leaned in, his lips slanting agonizingly close to hers, warm breath caressing her chilled face as his eyes flicked down to her lips and then back up. Leia swallowed roughly, her eyes widening.

He smiled again. This time in amusement and, careful not to go near her injury, before she even had a chance to register it, gently and affectionately kissed her forehead. Chuckling slightly at her gaping, he manoeuvred his other arm around her waist and pulled her closer.

"Come on. Up and at em' Sweetheart. "

Leia let out the breath she'd been holding.

"Quit man-handling me, will you? I'm fine."

She wasn't fine, but snapping at Han was a pathetic attempt to recover her shaky composure. He merely curled up a lip and punctuated her remark with a flippant snort.

"If you say so. But believe me Darling, you'll know when I'm man-handling you. But I'm not in the mood now." He feigned a double take and cocked an eyebrow, " - unless _you _are of course."

Resisting her Han-jerk compulsion to automatically fire back, Leia paused and for the first time since she woke up, focused on solely on him.

Interesting. In typical Han style, he was letting rip his usual easy-going levity with a trademark smirk and careless flirtation. But all this time it had felt forced and his slightly shallow breaths and occasional licking of dry lips called his bluff. Something was very, very wrong.

" Han – "

"Can it Princess. You just had half the base fall down on you. By some miracle you're still in one piece. Now, put your arms around my neck."

This was an order, not a request, so Leia lifted her heavy limbs and settled them over his shoulders as his wrapped his more securely around her waist.

"There you go. Piece of cake."

While she had suspected it, it wasn't until she dizzily sat up and looked around, that Leia confirmed they were utterly alone. Just her, Han and a whole heap of dull white snow. Except for this small tomb-like air pocket, its top making them crouch their heads, they were surrounded by snow and ice. It reminded her of hiding in cupboards and under the bed when she was a child. The world shut away. Her senses honed in the darkness.

Her breath and Han's was only sound that she could hear. As the claustrophobia settled around her in the dim light of the flickering lamp, dread crept up and settled deep inside her chest. Pulling back slightly, she watched as Han's eyes swung to hers. In the stillness she watched him read her feelings and the exact moment he stopped fighting to hide the truth.

With an arm still tucked around her, he lifted one of her hands and laced his fingers through hers, attempting an earnest smile. Leia braced herself, but oddly, it was reassuring that it was Han who was here and the one about to break the news. He hesitated, so Leia, doing what she did best, provided a diplomatic opening.

"It's bad isn't?"

Instead of immediately responding, he let go of her hand and briefly traced the sensitive skin along her jaw line, breathing softly and calmly. Centring himself. Then determined eyes snapped back to hers. The instinct to fight had returned. A man with mission.

"Not if I have anything to do with it Princess."

* * *

**TBC….**


	2. Chapter 2

**Thanks to all who have reviewed or followed. This is why Chapter 2 has gone up so quickly! (Well, that and I've been sick off work for 3 days) This came out more humorous than I originally intended. But that's Han's POV for you! **

Gee these things stank. Like an unwashed armpit. And they detonated an unlimited supply of toxic fluid when they weren't happy. Which was permanently.

With frozen fingers, Han wrestled with his Tauntaun's bridle and dodged another hot spray of saliva directed towards his face. Whoever thought of domesticating the local wildlife should have had their head read.

"Hey! Cool it, will you? I've had a long day," he snapped.

The walking armpit grunted again as twinjets of damp white steam shot out of large nostrils and across his forehead, blowing his hair backwards.

"Yuck!"

Wiping his brow clean, Han warily eyed his tetchy patrol mount as it strategically scanned him for another target. Deciding to change tack, he reached up and carefully petted the matted fur curling up its ridiculously thick neck. Maybe a bit of sweet-talking?

"Easy girl."

Was a girl? It had long eyelashes.

He deliberately dropped his voice an octave lower and the Tauntaun paused its attack.

"Yeah. That's it. You adorable, smelly…. thing."

It blinked twice and slowly calmed. Huge eyes framed by lethal looking horns swung down to his. Han got the hint and kept stroking, smiling in amusement. Who'd have thought a reptomammal would be next on the list for a special Solo treatment?

"There ya go. See? I'm not so bad am I? Think I'll call you Betty."

The top of Betty's leathery lip crooked back slightly, displaying a yellow tooth and she snorted cynically. She reminded him of someone.

After a final rub around her ears, Han hefted his pack up and over the saddle, hooking it onto the pommel. He was heavily supplied. It was only a two-day scouting trip and the climate and terrain was merciless but Han was desperate for anything to break the never-ending tedium of routine.

If only it were as simple as rubbing Leia's ears to get her calm down, he reflected, he'd be sitting pretty. That woman was a right royal pain in his butt.

She was such a stickler for rules and regulations, constantly bailing him up and waving a stupid clipboard in front of his face. With only an ancient ion cannon and wonky shield generator as defence, they could all be obliterated by the Empire any day now, so who cared about signing stuff?

It was hard to remember a single conversation when words weren't hurled like missiles across the room at each other. Part of him conceded he liked bugging her. It gave her cheeks a healthy glow and she always left him chuckling with a parting quip. They were good at it, even when it drove him nuts.

Not 5 minutes ago, they'd had another spat. Well, more of implosion to be exact. It commenced with a loud and demanding -

"HAN!"

Leia was marching across the hanger bay towards him and the east entrance. Ground crew were quickly parting to make way and then jockey for the best covert position to view the next instalment of _The Han Versus Leia on Echo Base _show. Sometimes there were daily episodes and they never failed to entertain. Han didn't blame them. Hoth wasn't exactly chosen for its R&R facilities.

He slowly stood up and turned, deliberately assuming his most casual pose, watching her advance.

It was sight to behold. Her father would be proud. She was presenting herself with perfect regal posture; shoulders set firmly back, stubborn chin jerked up, her pinned plaits crowning her delicate face impeccably. One thing gave her anger away - dark eyes were already ablaze. For such a small woman she packed quite a punch. This one was going to be a beauty. Han licked his lips in anticipation.

With half the hanger bay still yawning between them, she opened her mouth and took a deep breath, preparing to explode, not waiting a moment longer to launch her most recent tirade at him. Han raised both hands in mock surrender.

"Hey your Royalnessness – give a guy a break and wait for him to catch up will ya? What did I do this time? Forget to wear standard issue underwear?"

Finally stopping short a few paces in front of him, both hands went straight to her hips and she tilted her head to punctuate her patronising tone.

"Captain Solo. I am hardly interested in your underwear."

After swiftly deflating his leer with a pointed glare (come on, how could he let that one slip by?) she took another deep breath and valiantly reigned in her frustration with admirable restraint. Bravo.

"Please refrain from making your usual juvenile remarks. I'm here on official business."

"Official business huh? Is that what they call it these days? Well if you want to make it _official_ all you have to do is - "

"Captain Solo. Kindly shut up."

Han shut up. Only because he was distracted by the way she was biting her bottom lip.

"This scouting mission has not been approved."

"Well, that's news to me Sweetheart."

"I'm not your Sweetheart."

Yeah, he'd see about that. "Reikeen seemed okay with it."

That bottom lip was certainly getting a workout.

"The General is tactical. I outrank him in personnel. I approve all missions."

Sith this woman did his head in! What was her problem? It was just a scouting mission. You'd think she'd be glad to have him out of her hair for a while.

He with a shrug, he nonchalantly zipped up his snowsuit and pivoted away from her towards his stack of supplies.

"Okay. See you in couple of days then."

He braced himself for a second onslaught.

Silence. A long, long silence.

Han swivelled back. Two fathomlessly dark eyes drilled back into his.

Whoa! Did she know the affect that had on him? It went straight to his groin. When her facade of cool political indifference was down and that feisty young woman stood in front of him, it was all he could do not to pull her roughly up against him and lay one on her. She was exquisite. She was impossible. Not that he'd be sharing that with her anytime soon.

Craftily assuming complete ignorance of her broiling anger, he cocked an eyebrow.

"What?"

"Don't pretend you don't know exactly what you are doing Solo."

Wow. This was too easy. She was in maximum attack mode today.

"And what exactly am I doing Princess?"

"Oh I give up! Forget it. " She turned away from him and threw over her shoulder a muttered, "Big headed bantha brain."

Who's big headed? That's it!

Han grabbed her arm, making her swing back towards him. Her face, full of outrage, bore straight up and into his.

"Let of go me you lout!"

Leia shook his hand off with a violent wrench.

"Hey, easy on the insults sister. Lighten up will you?"

"Lighten up? That's your answer to everything isn't it? Some of us have responsibilities and just can't take off on a whim like you can! Some of us actually CARE!" she practically spat this at him.

"I do! I just want a day off from caring now and then."

With a dramatic sigh Leia finally dropped her laser like gaze from his, and focused on something over his shoulder. Her tone was one of resignation.

"Fine. Go. Get out of here."

" Honey, I don't need you to tell me twice. A blizzard is more appealing than your uppity iceberg company right now."

"Well if that's how you feel Captain, don't bother to come back."

She spun sharply on a heel and stomped away without a backward glance. Ouch.

Well, that could have gone better. Han found himself still grumbling from the shockwaves that followed into the ground transport holding bay. The woman could be a bit nicer couldn't she? Jeeze they were hardly paying him enough for the upkeep of the Falcon.

There was a unsubtle nudge from his Tauntaun. When he reached up and gave her scratch, she gurgled back in delight. At least Betty still liked him.

"Arggahh!"

On instant Wookie alert, Han reeled around and spotted Chewie waving long hairy arms as he strode toward him. Oh boy. What now? Was he here to upbraid him for bringing Her Royal Bossiness down a notch or two? Well, they could both float home.

"Argg ahh RRRAHHHH!"

Hang on. Something wasn't right. Chewie didn't look angry.

"Slow down buddy. I didn't quite catch that."

"Argg AHHHHH RRRAHHHH!"

"A cave in?"

Han felt his body flood with adrenalin as Chewie clutched his shoulder with vice like grip. Something was way off the mark. He swallowed unsteadily as realisation sunk in.

"The Princess – where is she?"

Han didn't wait for an answer. He could read it in Chewie's anxious eyes.

No.

Alarming foreboding instantly commanded an urgent compulsion to find Leia and see her safe. Pulling away from Chewie, Han's feet automatically started running towards the direction he saw her leave. His life fell away from him as everything narrowed down to obtaining one imperative truth.

She had to be okay. She had to be. What would they do without her? What would he do?

His heart pounded and roared with unleashed fear.

"Leia…hold on Sweetheart. I'm coming…I'm coming…"

TBC...Leia or Han's POV?


	3. Chapter 3

**Thanks to those who have followed and waited patiently. Hans POV...for now!  
**

* * *

Chaos reigned supreme as Han finally reached the last bend of the long and winding access tunnel leading to logistics. The entire time it took to get there, it felt like a single breath refused to enter or exit his burning lungs.

He was teetering on the brink of sheer panic. As his feet pounded the snow beneath him, occasionally leaping over random metallic runners and dodging panicking people getting in his way, they beat out a relentless rhythm; _Leia be okay. Please be okay. Leia be okay.._. he had never said her name so many times.

When he arrived at the site, he pulled up abruptly and gaped at the towering avalanche before him.

_No, no, no. _

Turning to the nearest person who looked in charge, he shouted -

"Where is she!"

There was a foreboding rumble and the walls shook. Ice tumbled around his feet.

A young man, who looked no more than rookie and obviously posted on emergency sentry duty, stared back at him with naked fear stretching across his face. He stammered,

"Captain Solo. It's… it's not safe. Go back sir."

_Not safe? Go back? Blow that for a joke!_

Deliberately crowding the boy, Han lifted a finger and pointed it directly towards the flushed face in front of him.

"The Princess. Tell me!'

"Sir if you could just - "

" Listen buddy - I'll give you exactly 3 seconds to answer me or I won't be responsible for my actions."

"Sir I have my orders –

"Damn your orders to hell. She's in there and needs help – out of my way!"

"Stand down Solo."

Swivelling around, Han observed General Reeikan rapidly striding towards him and he instantly backed off, mollified. He had always respected the Generals' quiet command and steady gaze. The general would do what was right – without delay. But first -

"She's in there – isn't she?"

The General sighed heavily and ran a rough hand through his hair. He had never looked so disturbed. Han felt his heart sink with further dread.

"The Princess hasn't been accounted for yet."

"What happened?"

"There were several small cave-ins back when we first settled here. We thought we'd rectified the structural problems –

"But obviously you haven't -"

The general grimaced wearily. "Obviously. The scanners have picked up some faint life forms."

"What are you doing to recover them? Why aren't people already digging for Sith's sake?"

Han's frustration was swiftly peaking again. It would only be abated once he saw Leia standing in front of him and blasting him for letting her getting into such a scrape.

Another shudder and cascade of snow answered Han's question and again he felt a horrible sense of doom.

_Leia._ Leia was in there. He felt it.

"It's not that easy. It's a huge risk -

"Risk? It's The Princess! Damn the risk! "

" Solo – it's an extremely dangerous manoeuvre for anyone to attempt rescue. A further cave in or complete collapse is inevitable. We would only be endangering more lives. I couldn't order - "

"I volunteer"

"Solo – you can't – "

"I said I volunteer."

Pausing, the General looked straight into Han eyes. True grit and determination resolutely stared back.

The General had his own private opinion about this man and who he was to the Princess. He always found it easier to let actions speak for themselves. Experience made him a patient man. A true nature could only be hidden for so long and while it took a little longer than usual, the illusive Captain Han Solo was no different.

While the man worked hard to exude an air of careless disregard towards anything earnest or principled and blatant insolence to authority with postured bravado, it was evident that the man couldn't suppress his innate goodness.

And a good man he was. Brave to a fault, highly intelligent, generous on the sly and the only individual on the entire planet who could make the stoic Leia Organa blush with mortification and explode with unrestrained exasperation in the same day.

Reeikan had, of course, heard the rumours, witnessed the unparalleled verbal bouts and dealt with the fallout time and again. But now he could conclude without a moment's hesitation that this man loved Leia. With every fibre of his being. He might not know it yet, but his actions spoke otherwise.

Solo's chest was drawn up and out, tight with anxiety, his face pinched with distress and the utter agony of being completely helpless to do anything but act irrationally and immediately. The woman Solo loved was somewhere under that terrifying pile snow and ice and she needed him. Who was he to stand in their way? It wasn't his choice to make, even when he gambled losing them both.

"Very well Captain. What do you need?"

Reeikan watched as sheer relief swamped Han's face and he let out a long breath.

"Your best working heat drill, a med kit and the longest piece of rope you can find."

The monitor was cracked across one corner and needed a good clean but it did the job.

Thermal scanners were usually employed on Hoth during scouting missions to spot enemy spies or probes. This time they would hopefully save Rebel lives.

The radar technician pointed a shaky finger and circled what looked like a faintly red blob. Han swallowed and prepared to voice the hardest question he knew he would have utter during this whole ordeal.

"She's alive?"

"Yes sir."

_Thank you_.

"Where is she?"

"We think she's located in this air pocket here."

"Air pocket? How did she manage that?" _Things are looking up. _

"It looks like she's lying partially beneath a service pipe. Just before the entrance to logistics. It's protected her."

_Even better_. "Are you sure it's her?"

"Yes sir. The bio-scan matches exactly."

"Can you tell if she is injured?"

"Not with this technology and all the interference. Sorry sir."

_Okay. Not so good, but better than before. _

"Right. Let's get started."

_Hang in there, Honey. _

Luke. He'd forgotten about Luke. The kid would freak out when he got back from his

reconnaissance run and do something stupid and noble. Oh well. He'd have to deal with that later. If he was around later.

Hitching a huge length of rope over his shoulder, Han rounded the corner and almost bumped into Chewie pacing back and forth in the limited space given in front of wake of the avalanche.

If anyone was closer to losing it than he was, it was the giant Wookie. As soon as he saw Han, he let out a such a loud and low wail the walls were in peril of shattering. The two young men on the drill team gave Han a pointedly anxious look.

This would not do. Chewie wouldn't let him go anywhere near the icy death trap. Especially with a life debt he already refused to settle. He didn't have time to get into an argument about throwing effort after foolishness, or jeopardize Chewie actually volunteering in his place, blundering around making it worse, probably killing himself in the process.

_Hmm. Maybe I can solve two problems at once? _

"Hey big fella! Cool it! She's fine all right? We're about to get her out."

Hearing this news, Chewie instantly and visibly calmed but gave a grudging growl in reply.

"Do me a favour will you? While I coördinate the rescue could ya keep an eye out for Luke? He's due back any minute. (he wasn't but Chewie didn't need to know that) Tell him what's happened before any of these clowns the pass on the wrong information, will ya pal?"

Immediately suspicious, Chewie tilted his head to one side and sized him up, but years of sitting across from his hairy co-pilot at a Sabacc table made Han a master of bluff.

"Arrgh gah ragh ah?"

"Nah. These guys know what they're doing. They'll have her out before you get back. Right boys?"

Although the young men didn't speak Wookie, they knew Captain Solo well enough to nod their heads and play along.

With a grunt, Chewie slapped a huge and heavy paw, hard on his shoulder and trudged off down the corridor complaining all the way. When the last of his growls were distant echoes, Han turned back to the boys urgently.

"Right. We have 15 minutes to do this before Chewie twigs. And trust me, you don't want a pissed off Wookie on your tail.

Like every piece of machinery owned by the rebel alliance on this wasted ice planet, the so-called "best heat drill" was slow and working at half power. Water trickled unpleasantly down the front of Han's waterproof suit, deeming it useless. Crawling on his belly through the mushy white womb-like tunnel and pausing now and then when he heard a slight rumble, Han snarled with frustration. His anxiety was only making it worse. This was taking far too long.

"How much further boys?"

A crackling voice in his earpiece answered back.

"You're almost there sir. But it's very unstable. Reeikan says –

"Yeah, yeah. Well, tell him I'm not going anywhere. Can you still see her?

"Yes sir"

"Still a nice little red blip on the radar?"

"Affirmative."

Just as Han was thanking the gods that the Princess was made of tougher stuff, the proximity alert on the heat drill leapt into action.

"I think that's it. I'll be digging by hand from now on. Get ready to pull us out."

No answer.

"Hello? Huxon? ….. Anyone?"

A small voice that seemed miles away bounced down the tunnel.

"Sir you're too far in for coms to work."

Han sighed. Oh well. He liked a challenge

"That's ok. The Princess and I are good at shouting."

"Yes sir. I mean…um… Yes sir."

"That was a joke to lighten the mood."

"Yes sir. Thank you"

Han sighed. His day was really turning out to be a bummer.

"Standby."

Han adjusted the lamp so it gave him maximum light and began pulling snow and ice toward him. Just when he was thinking there wasn't much more room in the tunnel for it to go, his hands broke through and into a cavity. The dim light exposed a small dirty boot.

"Leia! Leia!" Han instinctively reached out and held on to that boot.

"I'm here. It's okay." His heart started beating wildly again. Now that he could see her, all he wanted to do was touch her.

" Captain?"

"I've got her boys. Stand by"

He began frantically digging again, pushing the snow instead of pulling this time, never taking his eyes off the small and still form of the Princess being gradually revealed.

Finally, after what seemed like eons, he made a hole big enough to awkwardly slither through, the rope tied around the harness on his waist trailing after him.

For a cavity, it was surprisingly spacious. A huge beam acted as a makeshift roof, keeping the larger blocks of ice from tumbling down and the service pipe did the rest of the job. Han could almost sit up.

_Nice digs Princess_

Sliding over and then laying down beside her, Han performed quick scan across Leia's figure, checking for injuries. Even in a dire situation such as this, the Princess exuded a dignity and grace that even surpassed unconsciousness. Except for a hell of bump on her head she looked like she was sleeping, curled up and onto her side, limbs neatly arranged.

Han stretched out a trembling hand and gently cupped a rounded cheek. Her white skin matched her surroundings. She was deathly cold, but alive. Grasping her shoulder, he gave it a soft squeeze.

"Princess?"

Nothing.

There was another shudder from above and snow rained down upon them. Then something nasty creaked and groaned in protest.

Scooping an arm under her light frame, Han gently rolled Leia on to her back. They didn't have much time.

"Ok. Enough of the silent treatment. Time to go. But I can't drag us both out of here without some help."

He paused and looked at her again and shook her slightly.

"If you wake up I'll let you blame me for this avalanche Sweetheart."

Still nothing.

"Okay. Have it your way."

Reaching blindly into the med kit bag, Han pulled out a hypodermic spray.

"Don't take this the wrong way all right? I just need a little skin."

Pulling on the snowsuit zipper dangling just underneath Leia's chin and parting the material to expose the long line of her neck, he pressed the hypo into her soft skin without ceremony.

Hypos were always a last resort, but he needed her conscious. They made you feel groggy and gave you a thumping a headache, but thanks to her head injury, it looked like she'd have one anyway. He'd sympathise later.

"Captain Solo?"

"Hang on guys. I'm just waking her up."

Funny. Until Huxon's anxious voice intervened, seemed like they were the only two people left in the world.

Han watched her closely as the effects of the hypo gradually seeped in. First her eyelids started flickering, her lips parted and she then released a very gentle sigh.

Han sighed along with her. He didn't realise until now how much he needed to see her awake.

Her brows came together and she let out a slight moan. She was in pain! Damn the consequences…

He slipped an arm under her neck, creating a pillow for her head while his other hand swept up and around the underside of her cheek.

It was suddenly so very intimate. Both of them - lying closely together in the quiet. Within the white stillness, Han whispered,

"Come on Leia, I can't do this without you."

Just what that really was, Han didn't think to pause and reflect upon.

He had to get her out of here, quickly, but without frightening her. It was going to be much harder than it was getting in. The tunnel he'd created to reach her made everything that more precarious, and there'd be hell to pay once she knew he risked his life to save hers. But for now Han didn't care. She had a chance and that's what mattered.

There was another moan and dark eyes were struggling to open and focus. Han braced himself for her wrath, but couldn't quell the sudden and overwhelming affection he now felt for this tiny woman laying in his arms.

"Come on Gorgeous. Open those big brown eyes for me."

* * *

**Thanks for reading. Any suggestions or feedback are always appreciated.**


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